How to be a better sailor

The best thing about sailing is that there’s always more to be learned. Here are some ideas to start you on your way.

Go sailing more

The more you get out on the water, the better you’ll be at sailing. Take your family along so you don’t have to make a choice between sailing time and family time.

ASA photo

Sailing is experiential, and even though you can only practice for or study about onboard situations, there’s no substitute for experiencing it firsthand. The more time you spend on the water, the more you learn.

Certainly there’s a common sense component to this, but if you’re wanting to learn more about sailing because you love sailing, why wouldn’t you want to find a way to sail as much as possible? Focus on finding opportunities that allow you to get on the water quickly. If it’s easy, you’ll be more likely to spend your time sailing rather than setting up.

Community sailing programs are a good option for this. Many offer call-ahead reservations, so a boat can be waiting at the dock when you arrive.